Process of treating sugar-cane and similar substances.



G. D. BURTON.

PROCESS OF TREATING SUGAR GANE AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.17. 1906,

909,987. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

'11 mingsses: "4 M62350)": gill MW Georgellflurl'on,

W M by WXMM,

GEORGE D. BURTON, OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF TREATING SUGAR-CANE AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed.0ctober 17, 1906. Serial No, 339,835.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. BURTON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theProcess of Treating Sugar-Cane and Similar Substances, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to methods of treating vegetable matter such assugar cane, moriche, pina, caratas, mayaca, pita, cocuy, sansevieria,mauguay, banana, and corn stalks, tule, and similar grasses, rice,straw, flax, and fibrous substances, the leaves of palm-,' rubber, andpineapple plants, the fibrous. parts of cocoa, sisal, and palmettotrees, and other similar substances such as jute, ramie, etc.', toseparate, degum, and bleach the fibers thereof and cause said fibers tobe treated so that they may be used for commercial purposes and in thearts.

The invention consists in taking vegetable matter, subjecting it topressure to separate the fibers thereof, immersing said vegetable-matter in a bath consisting of an electrolytic solution containingsaponaceous substances and a quantity of chlorid of sodium, sodiumcarbonate, or oxalic acid or similar chemical salts, and then raisingthe temperature of the bath from to 212 F., more or less, and passingthrough the bath during a whole or part of such immersion a current ofelectricity, thereby acting upon the fibers to soften and strengthen'them and make them capable of'use for various commercial purpose I Inthe peration of the invention a tank or vat is used similar to thatshown in the drawings, forming part of this application, of which-Figure 1 represents a plan view. Fig. 2

represents a longitudinal section thereof on' line 22 on Fig. 1, andFig. 3 represents a section on line 33 on Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrow.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the drawthe drawings, 11 represents" a tank or vat of any ordinaryconstruction provided with an inlet pipe 12 for supplying water theretoand a faucet or cook 13- for withdraw ing the solution from said tankwhen desired. A bent aluminum rod 14t-crosses the upper end of the tank11 and the ends 15 thereof are supported by the sides of said tank whilethe main cross member 16 thereof depends into said tank and extends fromside to side thereof. This cross member is usually constructed ofaluminum or some other good conducting material. Secured to this crossmember 1 and extending nearly to the bottom of said tank is a metallicplate 17 forming a suitable electrode.

The member 14: is provided with a conducting wire 18 secured thereto bymeans of set screws 19. At the opposite end of said tank is a similarelectrode. A current of electricity from any suitable source is causedto pass from one electrode to the other through the bath containedwithin said tank causing electrolysis. This bath consists of waterysolution which is kept at a level above the upper ends of the electrodes17, the supply being obtained through the inlet pipe 12.

In carrying out the present invention vegetable matter such as sugarcane, moriche, pma, caratas, mayaca, pita, cocuy, sansevieria, mauguay,banana, and corn stalks, tule, and similar grasses, and fibroussubstances, the leaves of palm, rubber, and pineapple plants, thefibrous parts of cocoa, sisal, and palmetto trees, and other similarsubstances such as jute, ramie, straw, etc., is first taken and eitherboiled or subjected to pressure to remove the juices therefrom. Wherepressure is applied to the fibers this may be done in any well knownmachine suitable for the purpose and where the juices are removed byboiling any suitable tank adapted for the purpose may be used.

:T e removal of the gum, oils, or juices from the fibers separate themto some extent and then the vegetable matter being treated is placed ina watery solution in a tank such as is shown in the drawings. Asaponaceous substance such as castile soap is placed within said bath towhich is added chemical salts such as sodium carbonate or oxalic acid,or

borax, which saponaceous substance and 'sodium, sodium carbonate, oroxalic acid, or

bprax, are added to the bath in the proportion. of one part of the firstto two parts of the letter, or one part salts to two of acid, so thatthe specific gravity of the bathds in-' -creased fromabout 1.,O'to1.020, more or "less, and an electric current may be passed through thebath during a whole or a part of the time that the material is beingtreated.

In some cases where the fibers are hard and tough it is desirable to addto the bath from five t eight per cent. of sulfuric acid, this actingupon the fibers to soften and open them, causing the gummy and stickysubstances thereln to be removed. This treat- 'ment of the fibers bysulfuric acid may take place during the action of the'electric ourrentthereon or precede it. When this has to the bath such as oxalic acid,chlorid of lime or any other suitable agent. This will act upon thefibers to bleach them in such a manner as to make them adapted for usein the manufacture. of white'or light colored papers, hats, rope, etc.

The outer fibers of the vegetable matter used is usually intended to beutilized for the manufacture of paper and similar materials and in somecases in the manufacture of rope or binding twine. The inner fibers ofthe material may be utilized in the textile manufactures. In this caseit is desirable that the fibers should be further treated to soften andstrengthen them and give them an appearance of animal matter rather thanvegetable matter. In order to accomplish this a tanksu'ch as is shown inthe drawings is provided with a suitable bath capable of creating anelectrolytic gas and wool or woolen fabrics are immersed in the same anda current of electricity applied to the bathand the. materials immersedtherein. When the-dirt and grease have been thoroughly eliminated fromthe materials thus immersed said materials are removed from the bath andthe solution drawn ofi into a separate vat and allowed to settle to freesaid bath from any impurities, which may reside therein. After settlingthe solution may then be pumped back again into the first-mentioned tanand the vegetable fibers intended for use in the textile manufacturesimmersed therein. These fibers at this time have been sufiicientlytreated to thoroughly separate them from each other and are immersed inthe solution in which the wool has been degreased and cleansed for aboutfifteen or twenty minutes, during which time a current of electricitymay be permitted to pass through the solution and the ve etable mattercontained therein. When t is is done the vegetable or fibrous matterabsorbs a certain amount of wool grease and animal matter or other oilsand gives to said vegetable matter a softer appearance -"and strengthensits fibers in such a manner as to make it usefulin the arts for variouspurposes. The fibers when so softened and strengthened in this mannerare adapted to be spun into threads or yarns so that they may be usedfor weaving and for many other purposes.

The current of electricity employed may be obtained from any suitablesource varying from seventy-five to five hundred volts and from five tofive hundred amperes ac cording to the size of the receptacle used andthe quantity of material to be treated.

During the action of the electrolytic gas or gases upon the vegetablematter immersed in the bath in the tank the temperature ofthe solutioncontained within said tank is raised either by steam or electricity orother suitable means of heat to about two hundred degrees Fahrenheit,more or less, according to the substances being treated.

Vegetable oil, such as olive oil, -may be used to soften the fibersinstead of animal oil or grease, without altering the principles of thisinvention.

It is believed that from the foregoing the operation of the inventionwill be thoroughly understood without any further de-' scrlption.

Claims. 1. The process of treating vegetable matter of the classdescribed, which comprises the removing of the juices therefrom,submerging the fibers thereof in a bath containinganimal grease as fromwool, adding to.

sa1d bath a quantity of electrolytic chemical salts, heatin the bath,and. then passing through sai bath a current of electricity while saidfibers are immersed therein.

2. The process of treating vegetable matter of the class described,which comprises the removing of the juices therefrom, submerging thefibers thereof in a bath containing one part chlorid of sodium to abouttwo parts sodium carbonate and animal grease, and then passing throughsaid bath a current of electrlcity while said fibers areimmersedtherein.

3. The process of treating vegetable mat= ter of the class described,which comprises the removing of the juices therefrom, submerging thefibers thereof in a bath contain-- ing sodium carbonate and animalgrease, and then passing through said bath a current of electricitywhile said fibers are immersed therein.

4. The process of treating vegetable'm'atter ofthe class des'crilfid,which comprises the application of pressure tossaid vegetable saidfibers in a bath in which wool has been degreased and cleansed, addingto said bath a solution about one part chlorid of sodium to about twoparts sodium carbonate, heatin the solution, and then passing throughsaid bath a current of electricity while said fibers are immersedtherein.

6. The process of treating vegetable matter of the class described,which comprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, submerging said fibers in a bath in which Wool hasbeen degreased and, cleansed, adding to said bath a quantity of sodiumcarbonate, and then passingtthrough said bath a current of electricitwhile said fibers are immersed therein.

7. he process of treating vegetable matter of the class described, whichcomprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, submer ing said fibers in a bath in which wool haseen degreased and cleansed, adding to said bath a solution about onepart chlorid of sodium to about two parts soda carbonate, and thenpassing through said bath a current of electricitg while said fibers areimmersed therein.

8. he process of treating ve etable matter of the class described, whiccomprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, immersing said vegetable fibers in a solutioncontaining wool grease, heating the solution, and passing through saidbath a current of electricity while said vegetable fibers are immersedtherein.

9. The process of treating ve etable matter of the class described, whiccomprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, immersing said vegetable matter in a solutioncontainin wool grease, and passing through said hat a current ofelectricity while said vegetable matter is immersed therein.

10. The process of treating ve etable matter of the class described,whic the application of pressure to said vegetable matter to separatethe fibers, immersing said fibers in a bath containing animal greasefrom wool, adding thereto a quantity of sodium carbonate, and thenpassing through said bath a current of electricity while said vegetablefibers are immersed therein.

11. The process of treating ve etable matter of the class described,whic comprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, placin said vegetable matter in a suitable receptace containing a solution composed of water, elec trolytic chemical saltsand animal grease, and passing through said solution and the vegetablematter contained therein a current of electricity.

12. The process of treating vegetable matter of the class described,which comprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, placin said vegetable matter in a suitable receptace containing a solution composed of water, electrolytic chemical saltsand animal grease, and passing through said solution and the vegetablematter contained therein a current of electricity, said current ofelectricity being of suflicient pressure and volume to create in saidsolution electrolytic gas or gases.

13. The process of treating ve etable matter of the class described,whic comprises the application of pressure to said vegetable matter toseparate the fibers, placin said vegetable matter in a suitable receptace containing a solution composed of water, electrolytic chemical saltsand animal grease, and passing through said solution and the vegetablematter contained therein a current of electricity, thereby causing thevegetable fibers to absorb the animal grease or oil contained in saidsolution.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 15th day of October, 1906.

GEO. n. BURTON.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. LOMBARD, EDNA C. CLEVELAND.

comprises

